16 For I will not give punishment for ever, or be angry without end: for from me breath goes out; and I it was who made the souls.
Who is a God like you, offering forgiveness for evil-doing and overlooking the sins of the rest of his heritage? he does not keep his wrath for ever, because his delight is in mercy.
Will you go on being angry with us for ever? will you keep your wrath against us through all the long generations?
But he, being full of pity, has forgiveness for sin, and does not put an end to man: frequently turning back his wrath, and not being violently angry. So he kept in mind that they were only flesh; a breath which is quickly gone, and will not come again.
His feeling will no longer be bitter; he will not keep his wrath for ever. He has not given us the punishment for our sins, or the reward of our wrongdoing. For as the heaven is high over the earth, so great is his mercy to his worshippers. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our sins from us. As a father has pity on his children, so the Lord has pity on his worshippers. For he has knowledge of our feeble frame; he sees that we are only dust. As for man, his days are as grass: his beautiful growth is like the flower of the field. The wind goes over it and it is gone; and its place sees it no longer.
God the Lord, even he who made the heavens, measuring them out on high; stretching out the earth, and giving its produce; he who gives breath to the people on it, and life to those who go about on it, says:
And again, if the fathers of our flesh gave us punishment and had our respect, how much more will we be under the authority of the Father of spirits, and have life?
Then falling down on their faces they said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, because of one man's sin will your wrath be moved against all the people?
And the Lord said, My spirit will not be in man for ever, for he is only flesh; so the days of his life will be a hundred and twenty years.
If he made his spirit come back to him, taking his breath into himself again, All flesh would come to an end together, and man would go back to the dust.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Isaiah 57
Commentary on Isaiah 57 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 57
The prophet, in this chapter, makes his observations,
Isa 57:1-2
The prophet, in the close of the foregoing chapter, had condemned the watchmen for their ignorance and sottishness; here he shows the general stupidity and senselessness of the people likewise. No wonder they were inconsiderate when their watchmen were so, who should have awakened them to consideration. We may observe here,
Isa 57:3-12
We have here a high charge, but a just one no doubt, drawn up against that wicked generation out of which God's righteous ones were removed, because the world was not worthy of them. Observe,
Isa 57:13-16
Here,
Isa 57:17-21
The body of the people of Israel, in this account of God's dealings with them, is spoken of as a particular person (v. 17, 18), but divided into two sorts, differently dealt with-some who were sons of peace, to whom peace is spoken (v. 19), and others who were not, who have nothing to do with peace, v. 20, 21. Observe here,